Recipes

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Mbatata is the word in Chichewa for the dense, creamy variety of this starchy root vegetable. In Malawi, mbatata is typically prepared by roasting whole or simmering cubes in liquid until soft enough to crush. This recipe, a modern take on mbatata that’s also found in Malawi, is a soft baked cookie using sweet potato purée, lightly folded with flour, melted butter, brown sugar, dried fruit and spices. The result once baked is a tender crumb with invigorating notes of black pepper, nutmeg and allspice. An impossible-to-resist, but optional light glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar drizzled over the top gives a nice acidic kick. Serve these cookies alongside a cup of tea, coffee or after any meal.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

A fried pepper condiment of puréed bell peppers and onions known in Yorùbá as ọbẹ ata dín dín is common across West Africa as a base for stewed greens and meat. This sauce is an expression of balance in a pot, often packed with fresh, dried, fermented and hot ingredients, each rich and distinct in flavor. Here, mushrooms and chicken thighs are the lucky recipients of this mother sauce. The pivot is to simply chop jarred roasted peppers instead of crushing fresh vegetables with a grinding stone, which is a traditional yet lengthy process. Oil-packed anchovies and miso deliver exactly as expected, adding savoriness to the depth of mushrooms. A squeeze of lime lends a tart zing to the sauce; a scatter of chopped basil adds a piquant burst.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Ọbẹ̀ onírù, a fried pepper condiment familiar to the vast Yorùbá-speaking communities across West Africa and beyond, goes by a cheeky name, “Designer stew,” a reference to the luxury products available to anyone who can afford to make it. It’s also a nod to the length of time, commitment and cost it takes to prepare. Originally developed as a sauce to coat and preserve tender portions of meat held at room temperature without refrigeration, this recipe requires planning and preparation. It’s packed with floral red palm oil, piquant tàtàsșé (bell pepper), savory crayfish (tiny dried shrimp), robust írù (fermented locust bean) and hot chile (Scotch bonnet), all rich and essential to its distinct depth. Miso and anchovies can be used here as substitutions, but they may not quite replace its deep flavors. Seek out the írù and crayfish if you can to experience the real thing, an expression of balance in a pot.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

This dish is an easy, anytime natural evolution of ọbẹ̀ onírù, known as designer stew, a cheeky reference to the luxury product available to those who can afford it. Once you’ve made the base, you can play around with additions like tinned sardines, halved baby eggplants or cubed large ones, or in this case peeled whole hard-boiled eggs. The eggs can be added or cracked shakshuka-style directly into the pan to cook until as runny or soft as you like. A steamed starch or thick-cut slices of soft agẹ́gẹ́ style bread are typical accompanying sides.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

A classic street snack in Lagos, Nigeria, gúgúrú (popcorn) àti epà (groundnut or peanut) is often sold wrapped in cones made from old newspaper pages or in small plastic bags, delivered by vendors into the hands of eager customers. It’s known for its remarkable smoked element: The lightly spiced maize kernels are often roasted in large metal pots set over hot embers, where they burst into fluffy, airy popcorn before being mixed with salted peanuts. Here, sugar, salt and smoked paprika enhance the flavor, bringing distinct elements. Remember to keep the pot covered with a lid or screen during the popping process. What results is the perfect thing to keep your mouth entertained, whether you’re awaiting a meal or wrapping presents, and an ideal gift, tucked into a bag, for anyone who stops by.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

A collection of nuts, spices, sage and orange zest, this easy dish can serve as a holiday appetizer or gift alike. Fennel, cumin and black pepper add complexity when crushed. Use whatever collection of nuts and seeds you like; the idea is to have balanced and contrasting textures. The fragrant aroma from the baked nut mix will linger in your kitchen and offer warmth and comfort for the cold days ahead.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Named chukchuk or shukshuk for the prickly nature of their dried shredded coconut bits, these clusters are common anywhere fresh coconuts are easy to find. The best versions are made fresh and delivered as gifts, from grandmother or other relatives with the patience and skill required to complete the process that starts with fresh coconut. But modern versions are also found on the busy streets of Lagos, Nigeria, sold by vendors as a snack. Unlike the originals, this recipe uses large unsweetened, dried coconut flakes, enrobed in a caramel that’s spiced with nutmeg, black pepper and clove. Introducing other ingredients to hot caramel can cause it to become crumbly and brittle, so proceed with caution and keep the pot over a low flame. And remember: Each spice will add an element that recalls the warmth of the holidays, and expresses, to anyone it's made for, how it was made with care and love.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

A classic across Xhosa and Zulu households in South Africa and its diaspora, isidudu is a slightly sweet, salty porridge that can be eaten any time of day, but is usually enjoyed as the first meal in the morning. This soft maize takes only a little bit of effort. The stone-ground cornmeal used here is cooked until tender and can evoke a wistful sense for cooks familiar with a daily routine of grits, cream of wheat or oatmeal to begin the day. A topping of sugar, cold butter, milk and optional dried fruit or nut butter surrenders to the warmth of the porridge, creating a colorful mosaic in your bowl and every bite.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

With an intriguing mix of awe and delight, this sauce is sure to strike pleasure in anyone who makes it. It is popular across the Caribbean and named for the way it runs down ingredients, coating them in its creaminess. Seafood and coconut milk perfumed with ginger form the primary elements of this recipe. Smoked paprika, grated pecorino, thinly sliced scallions and lime zest and juice add a polite jolt central to the balance of the resulting dish. Go with a large, hollow pasta here. You’ll want any shape with enough structure once cooked to hold the mouthwatering sauce. This dish is satisfying on its own, but you can add shrimp or fish in the last few minutes of cooking or prepare them separately and serve them alongside the pasta.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Kelewele is a popular Ghanaian dish of cut ripe plantains, marinated in a blend of ginger, garlic, selim seeds and cayenne, then fried and served as a side or street food snack. Often, kelewele is tossed with a handful of salted roast groundnuts while still warm and enjoyed by itself or alongside other dishes. This version is instead made in the oven by slowly roasting halved, skin-on plantains until tender in a bath of orange juice and spices. A drizzle of soy sauce, miso and peanut butter loosened with water adds much nuance and depth. The result is a parade of flavors and textures — sweet, spicy, tart, crisp-crunchy — softly pacing through your mouth.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

A common dish served at homes in Ghana, by roadside vendors and in chop chop bars (cafes or canteens), this popular stew is enjoyed all year round. Different versions of stewed beans often pop up across the continent and its diaspora. They all begin with soaking and slowly cooking the beans until tender, allowing the legumes to release starch that adds sustenance to the dish as they swell. Here, canned beans are crushed, thickening the broth without quite collapsing, delicately held together in their thin, speckled or colorful coats. The floral and aromatic stew base is simmered and reduced into a robust and spice-forward piquant sauce. This is a high effort, high impact recipe for prosperity in the new year. Take your time here, commit to this meal. It is joy in a bowl.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

The origins of this popular South African casserole with spiced meat in an egg custard may taste elusive, but bobotie is distinctly a Cape Malay dish. Found primarily in the city of Cape Town and the surrounding area, Cape Malay cuisine expertly weaves together African ingredients with Indonesian, Malaysian and South Asian seasonings. Cape Malay communities and their culture originated among Muslims from those regions who were enslaved by Dutch settlers in South Africa and their cuisine fuses those influences. In bobotie, ground meat is simmered in an aromatic mist of onion, ginger and garlic, peppered with flecks of bay leaf and chile, perfumed by masala spice, then set in a gentle custard. You can substitute as you wish here: Ground chicken, turkey or tofu crumbles will work. Dried fruit adds lovely sweet pops. Serve with a bright spicy pickle or chutney and roasted vegetables.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

At the popular Radio Bakery in Brooklyn, a version of this unassuming brown butter cake, based on the classic French financier, sits among the fruit-forward stunners. The chef Kelly Mencin uses farmer-ground coarse cornmeal in place of the traditional ground almond, then scooped into individual portions, sprinkled with turbinado sugar and baked. The result is a perfect combination of salty-sweet that’s tender, chewy and nutty all at once. Made in a skillet here, it retains the depth of browned butter, crispiness of cornmeal and the caramelized crunch of sugar. Cherries are added for their tartness and fleshy juiciness; fresh or frozen sour Bing or dark sweet cherries will work, depending on the season. This lively bake is a commitment that won't disappoint: Enjoy slices warm or room temperature, alongside cool, soft whipped cream or topped with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Yewande Komolafe

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

The full name of this dish is poulet directeur général, translated from French as “chicken for the director general” and known in English as CEO chicken because it was often reserved for high-ranking officials, business elites and important guests. This meal of chicken, plantains and vegetables bound in a fragrant tomato gravy was often a marker of privilege and exclusivity, and is now common in Cameroon and its diaspora. It came about after Cameroon’s independence from its colonial era, in 1960 from the French and 1961 from the British, and is a point of pride with its blend of flavors from Cameroon’s different regions. Soft and crunchy vegetables take on the flavor of the surrounding broth, as does poulet (chicken). However, the shining star is the resplendent plantain. When just-ripe ones are fried and added to the stew, they enhance it, leaving pockets of sugary caramelized morsels. Admittedly, this is hardly a fast-paced dish to put together, but the result can impress someone spe

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Thick and soft, this pudding of ẹ̀wà olóyin (a mildly sweet bean), onions, bell peppers and chiles gently cradles boiled eggs and smoked fish. In Yorùbá, one of the languages spoken across West Africa, the garnishes for this dish are often called ẹmi (lives or spirits), and can range from three to seven add-ons, such as chopped bits of cooked meat or fresh prawns. Wrapped in fragrant ewé mọin-mọin (banana leaves are a good alternative) and steamed, the bean batter and garnishes hold their robust flavors like a surprise gift. Dried crayfish and red palm oil are folded into the batter to add richness, and a whisked egg ensures a firmly set texture for this large-format version of mọin-mọin, which sometimes come in smaller cone-shaped, leaf-wrapped packages. Serve cut into wedges or scooped alongside jollof rice and èfọ́ rírò or any leafy green stew.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Slightly sweet, plush and tender, this yeast-risen bread is often dipped and dragged through saucy dishes, used as a vessel to deliver food to the mouth. In Lagos, Nigeria, it is known as ágẹ̀gẹ bread, named for the large industrial bakery that relocated to the city of Ágẹ̀gẹ in the 1960s to sell hot loaves to eager commuters. Here, the buns provide a smaller, portable version of the loaf. The dense yet cloudlike bread is dipped in milk tea, sandwiched with akara (fried bean fritters) or served alongside any soup or stew. For this recipe, protein-rich milk powder, along with eggs and cold butter, provide the structure and fat that creates the bread’s signature richness. Kneading, either by hand or using a stand mixer, is also essential for its structure. Any shape pan (round, square or rectangular) that’s 8 to 10 inches in diameter or length can be used here. After the final brushing of softened butter, you can top the warm rolls with flakes of sea salt or a drizzle of honey.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Coconut and cassava are known for distinct qualities: Cassava, a tuber from which tapioca is made, is starchy and dense, and fresh coconut is crunchy and juicy. When eaten together, both hold complex nuances with vigor, each enabling the other to flourish. Throughout Nigeria, streetside vendors sell bags of steamed cassava chunks paired with shards of cracked, skin-on fresh coconut for snacking. Home cooks combine these two ingredients in a variety of cakes, crackers and puddings. Here, small tapioca pearls and coconut milk form a pudding version of this familiar pairing. Lemongrass, makrut lime leaves and spices steep in lightly sweetened coconut milk that infuses the tapioca as it simmers. A finishing splash of coconut cream makes for a brothy pudding. Fresh fruit, lightly toasted coconut flakes and molasses (or any syrup) top the creamy base. This is comfort in a bowl and can be enjoyed any time of the day, especially as a cool, puckery and melodic end to any flavorful meal.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

A staple vegetable in Liberia, collard greens are cooked in a variety of ways across the West African nation and its vast diaspora. Whole leaves wrap an array of proteins for gentle steaming, and shredded leaves with their stems are added to various soups and stews. Stewed greens are the most popular preparation, known for being robust and deep in flavor with a lot of nuance. This recipe is adapted from Ope Amosu, the chef of Houston’s ChòpnBlok restaurants, who serves the stewed greens as a dip for plantain chips. He combines sturdy greens, bell peppers, onions and prawns with fermented, smoked and dried ingredients. Over a long simmer, the vegetables slowly relax, yielding to the broth and absorbing the surrounding flavors. Serve as a dip for chips or fritters, or alongside xaawash braised lamb shanks, crispy suya-spiced salmon or a starchy swallow.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

This is an adaptation of a dish served at Bar Kabawa by the chef Paul Carmichael in Manhattan’s East Village, where the vibe is casual and the food delicious. These patties are delicate, with a buttery crust that shatters upon bite to reveal an abundant meat or vegetable stuffing. Mr. Carmichael, who is from Barbados, uses in-house ground goat meat for his geera goat patties and makes the dough from scratch with a honed technique. This recipe calls for puff pastry sheets and ground lamb or beef. The potato, absent from Bar Kabawa’s version, is crushed, and the cooking liquid saved and incorporated to maintain the filling’s supple sauciness. Enjoy hot or warm, alongside pepper sauce, pikliz and cilantro-mint chutney, as a snack anytime of the day or as a bite to whet your palate before a larger meal.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

In sauce rof, a fragrant, emerald green condiment from Senegal, garlic, parsley, scallions and chile are crushed together and used to season seafood or meat, adding nuance and complexity. For this recipe, fresh herbs chopped into confetti-like bits are loosened with a glug of oil and fresh lemon zest ensures the sauce maintains a vibrant and spicy tickle. While the sauce rof marinates fish, it also seasons the broth for cooking the lentils. After the fillets gently poach in the same pan, a handful of greens and a final addition of fresh sauce rof turn the meal into sublime bliss.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Okra, a warm-weather favorite across the tropical regions of Africa, Southeast Asia and North America, is special for the texture it imparts to any dish. The elongated, star-shaped ribbed pods are popular spring and summer vegetables. When they are chopped and simmered over low heat, the pieces soften and release their signature elastic bounce. For this recipe, the okra is cooked with both whole-bean írù (fermented locust beans) and dried crayfish for a robust umami note. The savory sauce eventually surrounds plump saline shrimp and wilted spinach leaves with a ferocious, stretchy density. A finish of floral red palm oil complements, adding a delicate, creamy richness to the brothy soup. Serve hot in a bowl with a starchy swallow or any fluffy steamed grain for a substantial and delicious quick lunch or dinner.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

The plantain's boat-like shape makes it an incredible vessel for any manner of filling, from ground meat and chicken to seafood or vegetables. Here, oven-steamed plantain canoes are generously stuffed with a variety of mushrooms sautéed in a sofrito with sprinkles of coriander, cumin and smoked paprika. A dollop of tomato paste thickens the sauce that douses the entire dish before it’s broiled to brown the top. When topped with fresh diced onion, tomatoes and sour cream flecked with bits of cilantro and loosened with lime juice, this becomes a filling and delicious vegetable-forward lunch or dinner.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Prized for their endearing simplicity, plantains provide structure and sweetness to any meal, any time of day. They’re often peeled before cooking, but in this recipe, they’re cooked with their skins and are naturally released from their jackets as they boil. Unlike fried ripe-blackened plantains, which are very soft and sugary, these green ones end up dense and only slightly sweet. Neutral enough to take on the flavors of surrounding sauces, these boiled plantains are ideal for transporting those sauces from plate to palate and help the main dishes shine. They’re particularly good with stews (vegetable, meat or chicken), especially Designer Stew With Eggs, Cagaar (Spinach Stew) or Red Red (Pepper Stewed Beans). They also add heft to any brothy soup and are good with soft-boiled, poached or scrambled eggs.

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

Delivering warmth from turmeric and brightness from lemon zest, these golden crinkled cookies feel (and look) like sunbeams breaking through clouds. Imagine powdered doughnuts run through with Fruit Loops cereal milk on a Saturday morning. In fact, these soft, crisp-edged cookies are lovely for breakfast, but don’t restrict their bright, sunny disposition to a specific time of day: Pair them with a glass of milk or cup of herbal tea, whether as an afternoon pick-me-up or a not-too-sweet finish to any meal.